Spotlight on Breast Cancer

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness month and here at its4women.ie we’ve been flooding our social media channels with top tips, advice and some sobering stats on breast cancer all in the name of raising awareness for a disease that effects so many women, men and families across Ireland.

As one of the sponsors of Breast Cancer Ireland’s The Great Pink Run that took place on August 27th in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, we take our role in the battle against breast cancer very seriously. As Breast Cancer Ireland tells us ‘awareness saves lives!’ In this blog we’ll be sharing everything you need to know about breast cancer, how you can reduce your chances and how to perform regular breast checks on yourself.

EAT WELL

The link between a good diet and good health is long established but more and more research is being ploughed into the possible connection between what we put into our mouths and what happens to our bodies. It’s difficult to prove a complete and direct correlation between diet and rates of cancer as there are many factors at work and it may take cancer years to develop. It’s far too easy to blame one single food group on the development of cancer but overall, research does point to a reduction in the rates of cancer when certain food groups are eaten.

Ensuring you have a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet may reduce your chances of cancer in the long run. There’s good news for carb lovers, a healthy and well-balanced diet includes plenty of bread, rice, potatoes and pasta, although you should be choosing wholegrain where possible for their higher fibre content. Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and veggies a day, some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy foods rich in protein and some dairy too. Keep food and drinks high in fat or sugar to the absolute minimum to ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs. Being overweight or obese may have an effect on your confidence but it has a more damaging effect on your health as it can increase the risk of breast cancer for women who have gone through the menopause.

BREAST CHECK STEPS

It’s important that all women be able to recognise changes in their breasts over time and to educate themselves on a breast check. Easy to do, a breast check can take a couple of minutes and is a great way to keep tabs on any symptoms that may pop up over time.

STEP 1

Stand straight with your arms by your hips and look at your breasts in a mirror. Check for the following:

Your breasts are their usual, shape, size and colour

They are evenly shaped with no visible swelling

If you spot the below, head to your GP:

Any dimpling, puckering or bulging of the skin

A nipple that has changed position or has become inverted (now inwards when it was pointing out)

Redness, soreness, rash, swelling

STEP 2

Raise your arms and look for the same changes again.

STEP 3

Check for any signs of fluid coming from the nipples.

STEP 4

While lying down and using the flat pad of your fingers, use the opposite hand to each breast to feel around smoothly with your fingers together. Work in a circular motion and go from side to side and from collarbone to top of abdomen and armpit to cleavage.

Another option is to use your fingers up and down vertically in rows using light pressure.

STEP 5

Repeat the above while sitting, you can also do this in the shower as the moisture can make it easier to complete your check. Don’t forget to cover the entire breast again from side to side and from top to bottom.

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